Royal Commission

On 15 December 2017 the Royal Commission presented a final report to Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove, detailing the culmination of a five year inquiry into institutional responses to child sexual abuse and related matters. 2020 marks the three year anniversary of this event.

This page contains information about the Royal Commission, and a link to the final report.

 

About the Royal Commission

On Friday 11 January 2013, Her Excellency Quentin Bryce, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, appointed a six-member Royal Commission to investigate Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The Royal Commission inquired into how institutions with a responsibility for children have managed and responded to allegations and instances of child sexual abuse. It investigated where systems failed to protect children, and made recommendations on how to improve laws, policies and practices to prevent and better respond to child sexual abuse in institutions.

The Commissioners looked at private, public and non-government organizations that are, or were in the past, involved with children, including government agencies, schools, sporting clubs, orphanages, foster care, and religious organisations.

This includes where they considered an organisation caring for a child is responsible for the abuse or for not responding appropriately, regardless of where or when the abuse took place.

The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM was appointed Chair of the Commission. Justice McClellan has held since 2005, one of the most senior judicial positions in the New South Wales judiciary as the Chief Judge at Common Law of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

The other five Commissioners were Mr. Bob Atkinson AO APM, the former Queensland Police Commissioner, Justice Jennifer Coate, Family Court Judge and former Victorian Coroner and, Mr. Robert Fitzgerald AM, Productivity Commissioner, Professor Helen Milroy, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and former Senator for Western Australia, Mr. Andrew Murray.

 

The Final Report:

Volume 1: Our Inquiry

Volume 2: Nature and Cause

Volume 3: Impacts

Volume 4: Identifying and Disclosing Child Sexual Abuse

Volume 5: Private Sessions

Volume 6: Making Institutions Child Safe

Volume 7: Improving Institutional Responding and Reporting

Volume 8: Recordkeeping and Information Sharing

Volume 9: Advocacy, Support, and Therapeutic Treatment Services

Volume 10: Children with Harmful Sexual Behaviours

Volume 11: Historical Residential Institutions

Volume 12: Contemporary Out-of-Home Care

Volume 13: Schools

Volume 14: Sport, Recreation, Arts, Culture, Community

Volume 15: Contemporary Detention Environments

Volume 16 Book 1: Religious Institutions

Volume 16 Book 2: Religious Institutions

Volume 16 Book 3: Religious Institutions

Volume 17: Beyond the Royal Commission

 

CLAN Submissions: 

Royal Commission Consultation Paper

News Articles

‘Terrible crime’: Royal Commission’s Final Abuse Report Makes 189 New Recommendations, 15 December 2017 (SBS News)